PRO FOOTBALL; Air Foley Takes Off And Flight Is Smooth

After a summer of inconsistency, Glenn Foley tonight finally produced the quick-strike effort that Coach Bill Parcells expected in naming him the Jets' starting quarterback.

And he did it without much of a running game. Although it was only an exhibition game against the Giants, it was also merely the seventh start of Foley's rocky National Football League career.

He had completed only 11 of 28 passes in the first two exhibition games, he had averaged less than 4 yards an attempt and he had been intercepted twice.

But tonight Foley completed his first nine passes and was 13 for 18 in the opening half, good for 162 yards. His 3-yard pass to Wayne Chrebet opened the scoring in the Jets' 27-23 victory over the Giants.

Foley had a lapse to open the second half when his first pass was intercepted by Percy Ellsworth and returned for a 42-yard touchdown. Still, by the time Foley was replaced in the third quarter by Vinny Testaverde, he had completed 14 of 22 passes for 192 yards.

''This is what I hoped would happen,'' Parcells said. ''What I liked best was he came right back after the interception and almost got us into the end zone.''

Foley, noting that he has not started many times, said: ''I'm feeling more and more comfortable. It's a long process,''

Referring to running back Curtis Martin, he added, ''Curtis will probably be the focus of the offense, but it's nice to know we can get it done.''

Not surprisingly, Foley's favorite target was Keyshawn Johnson. He threw the ball in Johnson's direction seven times in the opening half. For the game, Foley and Johnson collaborated on 6 receptions for 99 yards.

Until tonight, Parcells may not have been sure what he had in Foley. A year ago in the exhibition season, Foley was coming off the bench for the Neil O'Donnell.

In the Jets-Giants game last summer, Foley was the club's golden boy. He came in to relieve O'Donnell and tossed a touchdown pass to the rookie receiver Dedric Ward as the Jets won.

A week later, against Tampa Bay, he again replaced O'Donnell, brought the Jets into overtime, and tossed a 48-yarder to Chrebet to position the winning score.

That capped a preseason in which Foley was 13 for 19 for 208 yards. But he was also coming off the bench, and as far as Parcells is concerned, that is not the same as having the pressure of starting.

Still, Foley's spectacular summer last year created some speculation that he might open the season as the starter.

''Neil O'Donnell is my quarterback,'' Parcells had said when asked about Foley's chances of starting.

But now Foley is the starter, even though in Game 2 of the preseason, against the Baltimore Ravens, Testaverde got the nod.

In addition to the opening touchdown tonight, Foley led the Jets on a smart 69-yard scoring drive by completing three straight passes that got them to the Giants' 14. From there, Martin swept left for the touchdown.

Martin was the only Jet to carry the ball in the opening half. His 8 carries produced 30 yards, although for the second consecutive game he was stopped on a run on which he needed a yard for the first down.

Still, this was a game plan apparently designed to get the Jets' passing attack moving. The Jets had not even averaged 5 yards an attempt in splitting the first two preseason games. Parcells believes that Martin will be ganged up on by defenses if they sense the Jets are reluctant to throw.

One thing the Jets established tonight is that they are willing to wing it, and to do it behind Foley.

EXTRA POINTS

WAYNE CHRBET caught 3 passes for 53 yards . . . BILL PARCELLS was disappointed with both his kickers. JOHN HALL squibbed three kickoffs, missed an extra point and was far wide on a 37-yard field goal attempt. NICK GALLERY averaged only 39.8 yards and had only one punt of 50 yards. . . . The No. 1 draft pick DORIAN BOOSE, a defensive lineman, added one and a half sacks to give him four in three games.